testing for herpes

dear sir,

     i have blisters that are growing from the side of my lips. I went to get tested for herpes 1 and 2 and the results came out negative. I went to see a dermatologist and he told me that event though the tests are negative, that its a great possibility that I have herpes. Is that possible? thank you

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Joe:

A negative blood test for herpes does indeed rule out the condition pretty reliably.  A negative culture doesn't tell you much--perhaps the blisters were too dry to show any live virus.  Assuming your blisters are intermittent, you need to have a doc see 'em when they're fresh, so a culture can be reliable.  There are lots of other unimportant, blistery conditions which aren't herpes.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff